Door jamb assembly

ABSTRACT

A DOOR JAMB ASSEMBLY MADE OF MULTIPLE PARTS SO AS TO BE SHIPPED AND STORED IN KNOCKED-DOWN CONDITION. A STRAP MEMBER IS INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE PARTS AND IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST IN SECURING THE JAMB TO A SUPPORT AS WELL AS TO ADJUST THE WIDTH OF THE JAMB FOR FITTING WALLS OF DIFFERENT THICKNESS.

m; 11+ 0 at W7] R. L. DONNELLY ET L DOOR .TAMB ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 13, 1967 INVEN I QS. ROBERT L. DONNELLY RICHARD A. MCGRATH cgAY J. CORP s M. g

X ATTORNEY United States Patent @lfice 3,fil4,846 Patented @ct. 26, 1971 U.S. Cl. 52-213 1 Claim ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A door jamb assembly made of multiple parts so as to be shipped and stored in knocked-down condition. A strap member is included as one of the parts and is designed to assist in securing the jamb to a support as well as to adjust the width of the jamb for fitting walls of difierent thickness.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in door jamb assemblies.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a door jamb assembly which is formed of novel structural parts facilitating a knocked-down condition for shipment and storage and also facilitating easy and fast mounting thereof in door openings.

More particular objects of the present invention are to provide a door jamb assembly which utilizes a pair of longitudinal frame strips and at least two strap members secured transversely across the frame strips and being of a length greater than the combined width of said strips whereby the projecting ends of the strap members are arranged to be bent angularly to secure the latter and connected frame strips to supporting wall structure; to provide a door jamb assembly of the type described wherein the strap members which connect the longitudinal frame strips together have a plurality of transversely extending bend lines which facilitate bending the projecting ends of the strap members to connect the assembly to wall structures of different thickness; and to provide a door jamb assembly of the type described which employs a longitudinal connecting strip engageable with the two frame strips and having a tongue and groove connection with one of said frame strips whereby to be positioned in a selected lateral position on one of said frame strips regardless of the lateral adjusted position with the other frame strip.

Still another object is to provide a door jamb assembly of the type described wherein one of a pair of frame strips has an edge groove and the other of said frame strips has a lateral tongue engaged in the groove whereby the two frame strips are expandable laterally to a selected width and capable of attachment to walls of different thicknesses.

Yet another object is to provide in a door jamb as sembly of the type described a novel strap member capable of securing a pair of longitudinal frame strips together in selectively spaced relation and also arranged such that projecting end portions thereof are capable of being bent angularly for the purpose of securing the strap members and connected frame strips to a supporting wall structure.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred forms of the device.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken through one form of the present jamb assembly, this view being taken on the line ll-ll of FIG. 2 through a phantom line position of a strap member;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1, the door structure shown in FIG. 1 being removed in FIG. 3 for clarity;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged cross sectional views of a strap member which forms a part of the present invention, taken respectively on the line 4-4 and -5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a modified form of jamb structure; and

FIG. 7 is also a horizontal sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but showing still another form of jamb structure.

With particular reference to the drawings and first to FIGS. 1 through 5, there is shown a jamb assembly employing a first embodiment of the invention. Reference is first made to FIG. 1, however, which shows supporting structure for the jamb assembly comprising framing studs 10 forming a door opening 12. Wall covering 14 is secured to the studs 10 on one or both sides thereof, such wall covering comprising the usual sheet rock, plaster, plywood paneling or the like.

The door jamb assembly of FIGS. 1-5 comprises a pair of frame strips 16 and 18 substantially rectangular in cross section and each having a front face surface 20 and a rear face surface 22. The combined width of the two strips 16 and 18 is less than the thickness of the wall formed by the studs 10 and wall covering 14, and as will be more apparent hereinafter the frame strips when secured to the wall generally have a space there-between.

Also forming a part of the present jamb assembly are strap members 24 comprising a fiat, narrow strip of metal. The strap members have suificient rigidity to hold the frame strips 16 and 18' together in a strong integrated structure but nevertheless can be bent on weakening lines 26 thereof. The strap members have longitudinal ribs 28 depressed therein for increasing the rigidity thereof.

The bend lines 26 may comprise a plurality of minute apertures provided in alignment transversely of the strap members, as shown, or of course may comprise other forms of weakening such as transverse recesses. The overall length of the strap members is greater than any wall thickness on which the jamb assembly may be mounted, and the bend lines 26 are provided selectively in the strap members such that they facilitate bending of projecting portions of the strap members for securement to wall structures of different thicknesses. One end 24a of the strap members has a single bend line and the other end 241) has a plurality of bend lines which are spaced such that by bending the strap members on selected ones of the said lines, a jamb assembly can be constructed to fit the wall. It is to be understood that although the one end 24a is shown as having only a single bend line and a plurality of bend lines are provided at the opposite end, other arrangements of bend lines'at the. respective ends can be provided for fitting different wall thicknesses.

The frame strip 16 comprises the machined strip of the jamb assembly in that it has cut-out portions or recesses 30, FIG. 3, for receiving hinges 32 which support the door structure 34 on the jamb.

Also associated with the jamb assembly is a face or connecting strip 36 which is secured to the face surfaces of the strips 16 and 18, as by nails 38, and covers the space between the said two frame strips. In a preferred construction, the face strip 36 has a tongue and groove connection 40 with the frame strip 16 in order that it will be positioned the same distance from the one longitudinal edge of the frame strip 16 regardless of the overall width formed by the two frame strips. In addition to covering the space between the two frame strips 16 and 18 as well as assisting in securing the strips together, the face strip 36 serves as the door stop.

The strap members 24 are provided with a plurality of apertures 42 by means of which they are secured to the frame strips 16 and 18 and to the wall structure.

For assembling and installing the present jamb assembly the frame strips 16- and 18 are first laid fiat on a working surface such as a bench, and after positioning them in parallel relation and spaced selectively such that the overall width thereof is the same as the overall width of the wall assembly to which the jamb is to be connected, two or more straps 24 are secured transversely on the rear surface of the two strips. Such securement is accomplished by screws 44 or other fasteners passing through appropriate apertures 42 in the straps. The strap members 24 are selectively attached to the frame strips with particular relation to the length of said strap members in that they are placed such that the ends thereof with the single bend line 26 project beyond one edge of one of the strips 16 or 18 with the single bend line in substantial alignment with the edge of the frame strip. The opposite ends of the strap members thus project beyond the outside edge of the other strip and one or more of the bend lines at this end of the strap members will be aligned with such outside edge.

For securing the jamb assembly to the wall, connected strips 16 and 18 are placed in the door opening whereupon the ends 24a and 24b of the strap members are bent away from the jamb assembly at a right angle. Thereupon, the jamb assembly is secured to the wall structure by nails 46 or other fasteners passing through appropriate ones of the apertures 42. After the jamb assembly has been secured to the wall, the door casings or moldings 48 are secured in place, as by nails not shown. These casings conceal the ends of the strap members.

-In the use of the present jamb assembly, it may be shipped or stored in disassembled relation as explained above whereby the carpenter builds the assembly at the site. That is, each of the parts is disconnected and packaged in flat condition for consuming a minimum of package space. If desired, however, the strap members may be partially installed at the factory, as shown in full lines in FIG. 2, wherein they are held by one screw and during shipment are placed in longitudinal alignment with the frame strip to which they are attached. The strap members are secured to the other frame strip at the construction site after first pivoting them to a position at right angles to the frame strips. It is preferred that the attaching ends of the strap members in the case just mentioned comprise the ends 24a and the carpenter at the site will bend these ends as well as the other ends at the appropriate place for installation.

It is to be understood that a complete jamb assembly will enclose the sides and head portion of a door opening and thus will comprise two separate side portions and a header portion. These portions are suitably secured together when being installed in the door opening.

FIG. 6 shows a somewhat modified form of jamb assembly. In this embodiment the frame strips 16a and 18a have a tongue and groove connection 50 in their adjacent side edges. For the purpose of providing such connection, the frame strip 16a is of thickened construction in order to accommodate the groove connection 50, and furthermore has a longitudinal face groove 52 to receive the edge of the door. Nails 38 or the like assist in holding the frame strips 16a and 18a in secured position.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the jamb assembly is similarly secured to the wall by the strap members 24 but utilizes a single frame member 54. This frame member has a full length face groove 56 for receiving the door edge. FIG. 7 is intended to illustrate application of features of the present invention to an outside door wherein one door casing 48 comprises the inside casing, and the other door casing 48a comprises the outside easing. Even though 4 the ends 24b of the strap members are not fully covered by the casing 48a, such ends are covered by an outer layer of siding 58.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a door jamb assembly which can be shipped and stored in knocked-down condition and readily assembled at the site. Or, if desired, the jamb may be partially assembled before shipment. It is apparent that by using the jamb assemblies of FIGS. 1 and 6 suppliers need have only one inventory to fit all wall thicknesses. It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Although it is stated herein that the present door jamb assembly is shipped and stored in knocked-down condition, it is to be understood that it may be partially assembled at the factory. For example, one of the door casings 48 may be secured to its respective frame strips 16 or 18 at the factory and the other casing 48 secured when the jamb is being mounted. In such case, fastening means 46 on the side which has the casing 48 attached at the factory would have to be applied through the said casing at the site since those fasteners shown in the drawings could not be applied. It is also to be understood that other types of fasteners 46 may be used such as staples, in which case such staples may be power driven through the bent ends of the strapmembers and holes 42 would not be necessary.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:-

1. A door jamb assembly comprising a pair of longitudinal frame strips having front and rear faces, the front faces of one of said strips being arranged to have a closure member attached thereto, at least two strap members secured transversely across the said rear faces to hold said longitudinal frame strips securely together in parallel relation, the length of said strap members being greater than the combined width of said frame strips whereby the ends of said strap members project beyond the outer side edges of said strips, said strap members being formed of bendable material whereby the projecting ends of said strap members are arranged to be bent angularly for mounting the strap members and connected frame strips by means of said angular portions of said strap members to supporting structure, said strap members having at least one transversely extending weakening line located inwardly from each end to facilitate bending said projecting ends at an angle to'the strap members, said weakening lines being selectively positioned with relation to the ends of said strap members to cause the bent ends to receive a wall of selected thickness therebetween, a door stop strip lying in partially overlapping relation on the front face surfaces of said two frame strips and covering any longitudinal space therebetween, said door stop strip having a tongue and groove connection with the front face of one of said frame strips whereby to be positioned in a selected lateral position on said one frame strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner S. D. BURKE, Assistant Examiner 

